Trucks will have to move over

To clear left lane for passing, new rule requires rigs to stay right on turnpike

January 18, 2008|By Michael Turnbell Staff Writer

Big rigs will have to stay out of the fast lane of Florida's Turnpike starting Feb. 1.

The restriction will ban trucks from the left lane on a 40-mile stretch of the toll road between the Golden Glades interchange in Miami-Dade County and the Lantana toll plaza west of Lake Worth.

Mike Fender, who takes the turnpike three times a week to drive from Wellington to Fort Lauderdale and Miami, said the restrictions will greatly improve his commute.

Fender said too many trucks clog the left lane and go slower than other traffic.

"With trucks not being able to get into the left lane, I can be more greatly assured that I can have a clear lane, and not need to pass trucks on the right," Fender said.

But some truckers say the restrictions will create bigger problems for all drivers. An official with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the rules will create more congestion and cause more vehicles to tailgate and pass in an unsafe manner.

"It's all about, 'How do we get trucks out of the way so I can go faster?' That's the mind set. 'I don't want any truck in front of me,' " said Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the association, which represents about 160,000 independent truckers. "That's not necessarily the best attitude to have when it comes to transportation. We all have to share the road and share the road safely and courteously."

Turnpike officials say they're imposing the new rules to promote safety and keep slower-moving trucks in the right two lanes.

Studies at Florida International University and the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have concluded that truck lane bans reduce the number of lane changes without affecting speed.

Crews are posting 30 black-and-white signs that read "No Trucks Left Lane" along the 40-mile stretch. Turnpike spokeswoman Nichole Kalil said announcements are being posted at all turnpike service plazas, in trucking magazines, on the turnpike's highway advisory radio station and radio stations monitored by truckers, and at Port Everglades, a busy hub for thousands of trucks daily in Broward County.

All areas with the left-lane truck restrictions are at least three lanes in each direction. In 2005, turnpike officials banned trucks from the left lane on a 27-mile stretch of the turnpike's Homestead Extension between Interstate 75 and Caribbean Boulevard in Cutler Ridge after the highway was widened.

Florida has more than 400 miles of interstate highways with left-lane truck bans in addition to more than 100 miles on the turnpike once the newest restrictions go into effect.

In 1990, the Florida Department of Transportation banned trucks from using the far left lanes of Interstate 95 in Broward and Palm Beach counties during the day. In 1996, the daytime ban was extended to I-95 in Miami-Dade County. In 2004, it was expanded around the clock.

Lt. Roger Reyes of the Florida Highway Patrol said truck drivers will be given a 30-day warning period before troopers start writing tickets on the turnpike between Golden Glades and Lantana.

"You can see how it's worked on other highways. When they didn't have it, there were a lot of problems," Reyes said. "The Highway Patrol fully supports it."

A truck driver caught in the left lane could be charged with failure to obey a traffic-control device, which can result in fines of more than $100 and three points on the driver's license.

Michael Turnbell can be reached at mturnbell@sun-sentinel.com, 954-356-4155 or 561-243-6550.